1775 - John Ritchie comes to Kentucky and Builds a house. Soon after he builds a distillery with a one bushel per day capacity. (M F Coomes, Speech before the Filson Club, Jan. 7, 1895).

o - THe Wine and Spririts Bulletin reports that the ruins of the Ritchie distillry can still be found (Feb. 1, 1901).

1780 - Elijah Pepper starts distilling whiskey at Versailles,
Ky. His son Oscar and grandson James E. used the
trademark "Old 1776" and the slogan "Born with the
Republic". (C Cowdery, Hert. James E Pepper).

o - It is said that Ritchie and some companions take a flat boat full of whiskey to New Orleans this year (M F Coomes, Talk before the Filson Club, Jan. 7, 1895).

o - Captain Henry Wilson identifies three distillers located in Kentucky for this year. These three distillers are Jacob Meyers, Joseph Davis and Samuel Davis. The Davis brothers only had small stills of about 40 gallon capacity and they had brought them over the mountains on muleback. (Crowgey, Kentucky Bourbon, p.138).

1783 - 1rst distillery in Kentucky (Murphy, Wrld Bk W p 120).

o - First recorded production in a small distillery in
Louisville (Kentucky Tavern brand leaflet).
May have only been straight Kentucky Corn Whiskey,
not bourbon (F B Thompson, Spirit of Old Kentucky).

1785 - Jacob Beam comes to Kentucky (Nelson County Record,
1896).

o - Bourbon County is organized by the Virginia Legislature.

1788 - Jacob Beam starts his first distillery at Early Times
(Nelson County Record, 1896).

1787 - Samuel Weller is born (Filson Club, Weller Family
Papers).

1789 - Elijah Craig casks his first spirit (Murphy, Wrld Bk
W p 120).

o - "Most historians agree that the first true Bourbon
came from a "fulling mill" owned by the Rev. Elijah
Craig - Some have suggested the first distiller was
Jacob Spear, an immigrant from Pennsylvania, others
Daniel Steward or John Hamilton (Kentucky Tavern
brand leaflet).

1790 - 1800 - The Whiskey rebellion ad its aftermath.
Resistance to the tax was equally widespread in
Kentucky but there was an official cover-up of the
events in Kentucky to make it seem to have less
oposition to the tax in Kentucky. There was massive
civil disobedience and occasional violence in Kentucky
(Federal Courts in the Early Republic: Kentucky 1789 -
1816, Mary K Bonsteel Tachau).

o - Kentucky was spared the military option for the
suppression of the Whiskey rebellion for two main
reasons: The first reason was geography - it was simply
too difficult to get troops over the mountains to
suppress the rebellion. The second reason was the fear
that a show of force would drive the "into the arms of
France or Spain" (Federal Courts, Tachau).

o - Albert Gallatin, Secratary of Treasury under Jefferson:
The people of Kentucky are "distillers through
necessity not choice, that [they] may comprehend the
greatest value on the smallest size and weight".
(Federal Courts, Tachau).

o - Alexander Hamilton states in a letter that duties on
liquor should be based on "proof determined by Dycas's
Hydrometer". (Early American Spirits, Alfred J
Liebmann).

o - Spears is reported to have established his distillery in Kentucky (Patterson's California Beverage Gazetteer, Oct. 1970).

1792 - Kentucky is admitted to the Union as the 15th State.

1793 - Mercer County distiller advertised that he had 500 gallons of "Old Whiskey" for sale (The Formative Years of Kentucky's Whiskey Industry, Crowgey, pp.193-194).

1794 - Whiskey Rebellion against Federal tax to pay the
$21 war debt from the Revolution. Washington deployed
the Federal Army. see 1802 (C. Lee Hist of Glenmore).

o - Elijah Pepper is said to be one of the few Kentucky
distillers who could afford to pay the excise tax on
whiskey and so survives the first consolidation of the
industry (Spirits, 1935, Filson Club).

o - Canada has its first excise tax on whiskey stills (200
Years of Tradition: The Story of Canadian Whisky).

1821 - The first known advertisement for bourbon is printed in the Bourbon County newspaper, Western Citizen, as the firm Stout and Adams advertises "Bourbon Whiskey by the barrel or keg." (Crowgey, Kentucky Bourbon, p.120).

1823 - Description of the "Sour Mash" method of making whiskey is printed in the "Gazett" (The Formative Years of Kentucky's Whiskey Industry, Crowgey, p.209).

1825 - William LaRue Weller is born (N Morgan, 15/10/92).

o - Alfred Eaton is credited with the creation of the
"Lincoln County Process" for making Tennessee Whisky
(The Book of Bourbon..., Gary and Mardee Regan, p.36).

1826 - The American Temperance Society is founded in Boston
(The Book of Bourbon..., Gary and Mardee Regan, p. 43).

o - Carrie Nation is born in Kentucky (The Book of
Bourbon..., Gary and Mardee Regan, p.62).

1848 - David McKenna is Born (Nelson County Record, 1896).

o - The oldest bottle with "Bourbon" on its label. Distilled by M. Bininger & Co. of New York City and owned by a private collector in Maine (Maryland-Washington-Delaware Beverage Journal, April 1972).

1868 - Congress requires a stamp tax on all spirits distilled
in the United States. (C Lee, Hist of Glenmore).

o - Charles and Maximillian Fleischmann and James Graff, a
distiller, found the Fleischmann Co. to manufacture
compressed yeast and distilled spirits. (Beverage Media
Blue Book, History of Fleischmann).

1870 - John E Fitgerald builds distillery.[origin of Old
Fitzgerald] (N Morgan 18/11/91).
The original whiskey was called John E Fitzgerald and
was made for the exclusive markets such as Steam ship
lines and private clubs. (UD Archives, 992.m.94).

o - George Dickel becomes liquor wholesaler (N Morgan
18/11/91).

o - James E. Pepper introduces the Old Fashioned Cocktail
to New York City. (C Cowdery, Hert. James E Pepper).

o - The original Fleischmann Distillery is built at
Riverside, Ohio. Their main products are gin and
bourbon. (Bev. Med. Blue Book, History).

1871 - Glenmore - James Thompson, immigrant from Ireland
started making whiskey in Owensboro. His brother-in
-law, Harry Barton joined him and discovered the supply
oflimestone water at a constant 55 degrees allowed
distillation throughout the summer. (Kentucky's
Historical and Cultural Pathways June 1991).

James born 5 May 1855 in Londonderry, entered USA 1871,
worked for uncles Sam and John Getty in Bowling Green,
Kentucky for two years to pay for transportation to
USA. 1873 to R Knott & Co, Dry Goods, Louisville. (C
Lee, History of Glenmore).

1872 - Yellowstone name given to 1836 brand (F B Thompson,
Spirit of Old Kentucky).
J B Dant renames his brand in honour of the first
national park (N Morgan 18/11/91).
Charles Townsend, partner in Taylor & Williams,
distributors of Dant suggested the new label (Kentucky
Bev Jrnl Nov '56)

o - Hiram Walker and Sons feature an exhibit at the Chicago
World's Fair of Canadian Bottled-in-Bond whiskey. This
is credited with being the birth of the Bottled-in-Bond
movement in the United States. (American Wine and
Liquor Journal, March, 1937).

o - H McKenna retires and his two sons, James and Stafford
take over the business (Courier-Journal, Feb. 18,
1934).

o - The Federal Excise Tax is raised to a rate of $1.10 per
proof gallon (Whiskey..., Getz).

o - Ed Beam is made General Manager at Early Times (Belles,
Bluegrass and Bourbon, Kroll).

0 - The "bonding Period" is extended to 8 years.

1895 - For the 29th annual encampment of the GAR [Grand Army
of the Repuplic] which was held in Louisville [the
first time on southern soil], I W Harper produced a
canteen shaped decanter filled with "The famous Nelson
County bourbon which bore the name Harper." (Carson Soc
Hist B Photo after p 144).

o - The Anti-Saloon League is formed (Bev. Med. Blue Book,
Prohibition).

1896 - Pleasure Ridge Distillery, in which Bernheim Brothers
had an interest, burns down (N Morgan to T Manners
4/2/92)

o - W L Weller retires (Inventory of W L Weller Estate).

o - George Dant studies Distilling under his father and
brothers (Spirits, 1936).

o - James Thompson buys Monarch distillery, Owensboro,
for $30,000 and name it Glenmore. (C Lee, Hist of
Glenmore).
Glenmore became Kentucky's largest distillery producing
720 barrels per day (C Lee, Hist of Glenmore).

o - An article in the Wine and Spirits Bulletin writes about Abraham Lincoln and his conflicts with Judge Stephan Douglas "Yes" Replied Lincoln "It is true that the first time I saw Judge Douglas I was selling whiskey by the drink. I was on the inside of the bar and the Judge was on the outside. I was busy selling, he was busy buying." (Aug. 1, 1901, p. 20).

1936 - Rebel Yell created personify the South by Charles
Farnsley, a nephew of Alex, a Stitzel-Weller
executive. Originally on a limited, personally
controlled distribution. Charles went on to become
Mayor of Louisville and a Kentucky Congressman.
(Kentucky Encyclopedia p 309 and Nicholas Morgan
18/11/91).

circa 1957 - Ezra Brooks is purchased when the Medley Brothers
acquire 21 Brands Distillery. The brand is purchased
because the salesmen in the field feel that they need
a brand to compete with Jack Daniels. (C Medley.
2/10/92).

o - The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division of the United States Government creates the catagory of "Light Whiskey": whiskey distilled at a proof higher than 160 proof and aged in used or uncharred cooperage. The product will appear on the market after July 1, 1972 (Liquor Store Magazine, June 1968, p.107).